Letters to the Editor for Sunday, Aug. 18

Letters to the Editor for Sunday, Aug. 18

While I was walking on Nott Terrace recently, I noticed where there was a mudslide a few months ago. It’s extremely fortunate that no one was killed, although it was scary enough for the man who was trapped inside of a house for a while.
It seems that an upper ridge continues all the way down to the gas station where another mudslide occurred years ago.
There was one fatality at that time and so may disasters these days in other part of the country; high winds, flash floods, hurricanes, fires, tornadoes, etc.
We’ve been lucky so far in Schenectady. But all I can imagine is if a heavy downpour of rain over a week or so might saturate the ground and end up collapsing that ridge all the way down to that same gas station. This would involve Veeder Avenue and Millard Street.
In addition, New York state has a moderate risk for earthquakes. If one or more faults happened to shift at the same time as the saturated ground gave way, who knows how widespread the damage and possible fatalities there would be.
Some of the apartment buildings on Veeder and Millard would surely crash down and in turn block the fire station so that immediate help would be impossible. There are also apartments on the other side of Veeder and Millard that could be affected too, a harsh way to renovate them.
Lorene Huntley
Schenectady

Urge McConnell to stop mass carnage

The recent mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton represent a national tragedy and a national disgrace.
The FBI defines a “mass shooting” as an event resulting in four or more deaths. Data shows that thus far in 2019, there have been 20 mass shootings in our country. The data also supports the observation that mass shootings occur more frequently in America than in other countries.
Assault weapons and high-capacity magazines are frequently used in mass shootings. Over the past decade, the five deadliest mass shooting incidents in America all involved the use of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines: Las Vegas, Nev.; Orlando, Fla.; Newtown, Conn.; Sutherland Springs, Texas; and, Parkland, Fla.
A study of mass shooting incidents between 1981 and 2017 found that assault rifles accounted for 86 percent of the 501 fatalities reported in 44 mass shooting incidents. An analysis of mass shootings from 2009 to 2017 revealed that of the incidents with known magazine capacity data, 58 percent involved firearms with high-capacity magazines.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has stalled two modest gun control bills that were passed by the House more than six months ago. McConnell has consistently benefited from NRA funding and has consistently blocked any attempts to limit access to firearms. Unless sustained pressure is applied, McConnell will continue to side with the NRA. It’s our moral duty to apply this pressure. Write to McConnell and ask him to pass legislation to stop the carnage.
Don Steiner
Schenectady

Vote Republican to rescue us from Dems

While we have a record high stock market and low unemployment, that means a sound Social Security and Medicare.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to tell you how to vote in 2020.
Since he House of Representatives changed to Democratic control, President Trump and this country haven’t been able to go forward.
Meanwhile any rogue country could launch a missile while we are entertaining meaningless investigations. If I were Trump, I would file charges of treason on all involved on stopping the wall to secure our borders and those who seek to unseat the president. Members of Congress are paid to do the people’s will to keep this country secure and safe and to represent all Americans, regardless of color, race or nationality. Any new bills are supposed to be voted for by the people, not Washington, D.C. Who are they to think for us, when we’re saying no to gun control, abortion, same-sex marriage, and our faith?
New York state is guilty of the same thing. This governor wants to dictate to us and defy the president of the United States and the Constitution. Do these elected officials think they’re above the law or better than us? All these investigations by Mueller and Congress are to cover up the laws that were broken by Obama and Clinton. Congress is stalling so President Trump can’t complete his agenda. In 2020, we have to reelect the president and take back Congress to go forward and keep Americans working. It’s all up to us.
Claude Rizzicone, Jr.
Schenectady